Battery-terminal connection



Jan; 20, 1931 H. c. TERRELL ET AL 1,789,951

BATTERY TERMINAL CONNECTION Filed July 30. 1928 Patented Jan. 20, 1931UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HAROLD C. TERRELL AND A. KERKHOFF, FCINCINNATI, OHIO, ASSIGNORS TO THE OHIO PARTS COMPANY, OF CINCINNATI,OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO device shown applied in forming agroundnn'rrnnrmnnmmar. oomvno'rron Application filed July so,

Our invention relates to battery terminal connections and isexemplifiedas a terminal connection ofthis characterfemployed for anewand improved connection of this character; and, further, to provide suchconnection incompact manner and so that looseness in the connectionshall be'avoided.

The invention will be further readily un derstood from the'followingdescription and claims, and from the drawings, in which lat-" ter:

Fig. l is a side elevation of our improved connection for a storagebattery, for instance of an automobile.

Fig. 2 is a planview of our improved dev1ce.--

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section of on the line 33 of Fi'g. 2.

Fig. 4 is a cross-section of the same, taken the same in the plane ofthe line 4-4 of Fig, 3; and,

Fig. E isa perspective view of the clamp of our improved device with itsclamping arms in raised relatlon.

An attaching portion, exemplified as a split clamping ring 11 isarranged to be received about the terminal post 12 of an electricstorage battery 13. The clamping ring is provided with clamping wingsl4, provided'with holes through which -a bolt 15 is received,

the bolt'beingthreaded in a nut 16, and the bolt and nut clamping theclamping wings toward one another for clamping the splitclamping ringabout the terminal post.

1 A shelf 21 projectsfrom the attaching portion or body of the attachingmeans. Clamptng arms 22, 23, extend from the .respective ends of theshelf. The attaching portion, shelf and clamping arms are preferablymade as a casting ofusual electro-conductive material. The shelf isexemplified as provided 1928. Serial N 296,233.

with a tongue 24 and the clamping arms are exemplified as provided withgrooves 25. These grooves are exemplified as merging into each otherwhen the clamping arms are in clamping position.

The tongue and the groove are complemental toeach other for acting on aflat electrio conductor 27, the end of whi h is received between theshelf and the clamping arms, the clamping arms being bent upon-the fiatelectric conductor for clamping the flat electric conductor between theshelf and said clamping arms. The side edges 28 of said flat elec-.

tric conductor are held between the bases 29 of said clamping arms,thereby confining the fiat electric conductor laterally between saidarms.. a Y I The flat electricconductor is exemplified as a fiat wovenwire structure, but may be a laminated strip or an other USlHLl'IOITIlof electric; conductor.v 'T e extreme end of the fiat electric conductorextends beyond the tongue and groove toward the split ring, so that thetongue is pressed into the body 017 the'end portion of the flat electricconductor.

This construction squeezes the wires of thecross-sectional curvature ofthegroove and also forcing said tongue into -said structure intermediateof the side edges of the flat electric conductor. The tongue and thegroove in the present exemplification extend crosswise of the flatelectric conductor.

ThlS construction causes crowding of the wire strands upon one another,squeezing of t ric connection, and clamping of the wires compactly andintimately between the shelf and the clamping arms, and prevents thesqueezing of the wires out of the space between said shelf and saidclamping arms, and

insures maximum surface contact between the wires and the termlnal forpreventing the wire strands together for intimate elec nection.

loss in current transmission. It further insures rigid connectionbetween the fiat electric conductor and the terminal, and prevents thepulling outof the flat electric conductor from the terminal, andprevents looseness and air gaps in any part of said con- An end wall 30is at the end of the shelf v 21, the end of theflateleetric conductorbeing received against said end wall for positiomng the same. VVhen atongue and groove is employed-on the clamping means, said end of saidfiat electric conductor is squeezed between the tongue 2 1 and said endwall for additionally securing said fiat electric condu'ctor in placeand insuring intimate electric contact with out improved connection.

To further insure a rigid connection, the shelf and arms as well as theflatwoven wire electric conductor bent into said groove by I saidtongue, are soldered together, as indicated by the film of solder shownat 31, which film permeates all the interstices in said connection andbetween said shelf and arms and the walls of said groove and tongue andsaid fiat electric connection.

The opposite end of the flat electric conframe member 38 of theautomobile or other thing with which the connection. is to be made. Anut 39 is threaded about the bolt for clamping the parts together.

Our improved device is simple in construction and is especially firm anddurable.

Having thus fully described our invention,

what we claim as new, and desire to secure,

by Letters Patent, is:

1. A battery terminal connection comprising an attaching portionarranged to be attached to a battery terminal post, a shelf proj ectingfrom said attaching portion and provided with a shoulder proximate tosaid attaching portion at the inner end of said shelf, clamping armsextending laterally from the respective sides of said shelf and beyondthe lateral sides of said shoulder, and a fiat electric conductor havingan end portion whose end butts against said shoulder, said flat electricconductor extending perpendicularly from said shoulder, said shelf andsaid arms provided with a complemental tongue and groove extendingcrosswise of said flat electric conductor adjacent to the end of saidflat electric conductor, and said clamping arm's bent across and uponsaid end portion of said fiat electric conductor with said flat electricconductor bent into said groove by said tongue and clamped between thelateral walls of said tongue and said groove, and said end portion ofsaid fiat electric conductor maintained in substantial flat form andencompassed at its end, top, bottom and side edges by said shoulder andsaid shelf and said clamping arms respectively.

2. A battery terminal connection comprisinga split clamping 'ring'arranged to be received about a battery terminal post, a shelfprojecting from said split clamping ring, clamping arm's extending fromthe respecr tive sides of said shelf, saidshelf and said clamping armsprovided with complemental tongue and groove extending lengthwise ofsaid shelf and arms, anda flat woven wire electric conductor, the endportion of 'said fiat woven wire electric conductor located between saidshelf and said clamping arms with the extreme end of said flat wovenwire electric conductor extending past said tongue and groove towardsaid split clamping ring, said tongue and groove extending crosswise ofsaid flat woven wire electric conductor, said clamping arms bent acrossthe outer side edges of said fiatwoven wire electric conductor forconfining said side edges between the bases of saidarms and clampingsaid end portion of said fiat woven 'wire electric conductor betweensaid clamping arms and said shelf while maintaining said end portion insubstantial flat form with the woven wire structure of said conductorbent into said groove by said tongue, and .said' shelf, arms andflat-woven wire electric conductor soldered together,- and constructedand arranged for preventing spreading of said fiat woven wire electricconductor by the clamping thereof and for fixing the same lengthwisebetween said wings and said shelf. a 3. A battery terminalconnectioncompri sing a body including an attaching portion and a shelfprojecting radially therefrom, clamping arms extending laterally fromthe III! respective sides of said shelf, said body provided with ashoulderbetween said clamping arms, said clamping arms and said shelfrespectively provided with complemental tongue and groove, and a flatelectric conductor having an end portion whose extreme end abuts againstsaid shoulder, said end portion located between the bases of saidclamping arms for confining the lateral edges of said end portion, andsaid end portion clamped between said clamping arms and said shelf, thelateral walls of said tongue pressing the portion of said end portiondefiected thereby against the lateral walls of said groove.

In testimony whereof, signed ournames.

'HAROLD C. TERRELL. FRANK A. KERKHOFF.

we have hereunto

